When it comes to feeding hedgehogs, the food chosen is very important to maintain their health and give them enough nutrition. The wrong food can end up causing health issues from obesity like diabetes and liver problems.
What kind of food do I need for my hedgehog? Hedgehogs feed mainly on dry cat biscuits, as these provide them with nearly all the nutrition they need and protect them from gaining weight and becoming obese. Dry cat biscuits have the correct mixture of fat, protein and carbohydrates and can be supplemented with moderate quantities of other food like safe fruit, vegetables, insects and lean meats.
We also feed our hedgehog canned cat food also known as wet cat food but this is only in moderation. Then there are treats, we tend to use these after Hynee has had a bath, as a treat but these are to be strictly used in moderation only.
Insects, mealworms, and crickets are other foods to be used in moderation as eating them regularly can lead to rapid weight gain and obesity.
These are the Top 3 dry cat biscuits for 2020:
- Go-Cat for Indoor Cats with Chicken and Added Garden Greens Dry Cat Food (check price on Amazon)
- Purina ONE Indoor Advantage Adult Cat Food (check price on Amazon)
- Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Sensitive Digestion Dry Adult Cat Food (check price on Amazon)
Why I picked Go-Cat Complete Adult for Indoor Cats with Chicken and Added Garden Greens dry cat biscuits?
It’s important to mix the dry cat biscuits to ensure variety and when I compared these to other types of dry cat biscuits, I found the Go-Cat Complete Adult for Indoor Cats with Chicken and Purina ONE Healthy Metabolism Adult Dry Cat Food ticked a lot of the boxes, as they:
- are low cost, costing less than 5 cents a day to feed my hedgehog;
- the manufacturer hasn’t had a recall in the last 5 years;
- are low fat just 10-13% ensuring there’s limited risk to weight gain;
- has a good amount of protein, just 30-38%;
- contains lean meats (chicken);
- contains some fibre;
- contains safe vegetable products;
- doesn’t contain peas, potato or anything dodgy that could cause health problems to hedgehogs;
- don’t contain any milk;
- are easily digestible, allowing the hedgehog to break the biscuits with ease.
Features to look at, for dry cat biscuits
These are the features to look at, for dry cat biscuits, to ensure they don’t cause health issues:
- are low fat with fat content less than 15%;
- have good protein content around 30% is adequate;
- the manufacturer mustn’t have had many dry cat biscuit product recalls in the last 5 years as this could indicate poor quality manufacturing processes;
- don’t contain any ingredients that could cause health issues in hedgehogs such as too much pea protein which can cause bone damage from calcium leaching;
- don’t contain milk as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant (kitten varieties of dry cat biscuits contain milk);
- contain only lean meats and not fatty meats such as pork;
- contains some fibre, to help in the hedgehog digestion process;
- are easy to eat, so there’s limited risk from choking, as the biscuit breaks easily into small pieces.
These are the Top 3 Canned Wet Cat Foods for 2020:
- Whiskas Jelly Wet Cat Food for Adult Cats – Poultry Selection (check price on Amazon)
- Wellness Pet – Grain Free Gravies Healthy Indulgence Adult Cat Food Chicken & Turkey Smothered in Gravy (check price on Amazon)
- Purina Fancy Feast Medleys Shredded White Meat Chicken Fare Wet Cat Food (check price on Amazon)
Why I picked the Whiskas Jelly Wet Cat Food for Adult Cats Canned Wet Cat Food?
Even though canned wet cat food is a treat, I still compared the different types and found the Whiskas Jelly Wet Cat Food for Adult Cats ticked a lot of the boxes, as it:
- is a low cost, costing a few cents every time it’s used;
- the manufacturer hadn’t had a recall in the last 5 years;
- is ok in fat content as it’s only used rarely;
- is ok in protein content as it’s only used rarely;
- hasn’t had anything dodgy added;
- doesn’t contain milk;
- is made from lean meats like chicken.
These are the Top 3 insect foods for 2020:
- Zoo Med Laboratories Can O Worms (check price on Amazon)
- Zoo Med Laboratories Can O Crickets (check price on Amazon)
- Zoo Med Laboratories Can O Grasshoppers (check price on Amazon)
Why I would pick Zoo Med Laboratories Can O Worms if I couldn’t get live mealworms?
Sitting down and comparing the different types of insect a hedgehog could eat, led me to Zoo Med Laboratories Can O Worms as a good choice (I would still recommend live mealworms), as it:
- is reasonably priced (will only be fed moderately);
- the manufacturer hadn’t had a recall in the last 5 years;
- isn’t from a bait shop or other source where contamination from other insects, microbes or bacteria could cause major health problems;
- allows easy storage, as mealworms are fed so infrequently they can end up going off, so being able to store them safely for prolonged periods of time becomes important.
These are the Top 3 Hedgehog treats for 2020:
- Dreamies Chicken Cat Treats (check price on Amazon)
- Temptations Classic Crunchy and Soft Cat Treats (check price on Amazon)
- Purina Petcare Friskies Party Mix Gravylicious Chicken & Gravy (check price on Amazon)
Why I picked the Dreamies Chicken Cat Treats?
I decided to find out what could provide a treat for our hedgehog and compared the different types of treats, I found the Dreamies Chicken Cat Treats ticked a lot of the boxes, as they:
- are reasonably priced to be used in moderation;
- the manufacturer hadn’t had a recall in the last 5 years;
- are easy for a hedgehog to break down to eat;
- don’t have anything dodgy added;
- can be safely stored for prolonged periods as the bag they come in is resealable.
These are the Top 3 feeding and drinking bowls for 2020:
- (UK) Rosewood Ceramic Bowl Naturals Twin Dish (check price on Amazon)
- Living World Ergonomic Dish (check price on Amazon)
- Ethical Stoneware Animal Dish (check price on Amazon)
Why I picked the Rosewood Ceramic Bowl Naturals Twin Dish?
I decided to find out what type of bowl our hedgehog could use for his food and his water. I compared the different types of bowls out there and I found the Rosewood Ceramic Bowl Naturals Twin Dish ticked a lot of the boxes, as it’s:
- offers great value at a reasonable price;
- consists of two separate bowls, one for food, with the other for water;
- easy for a hedgehog to use;
- available in a lovely colour;
- heavy enough, so it doesn’t end up being tipped over;
- made of ceramic, so no harmful chemicals are exposed.